Strong World!
by RavenRunning
Summary: Covers the Strong World film with my OC, Hawke, added in. This adds to my main story, Enter the Angel, so if you haven't read that... go do that :P
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I know this isn't what you were expecting but I've been really busy lately (I'm working on my thesis and stuffs) And the main story (Enter the Angel) has been on haitus for a while. But MarvelGeek13 gave me the idea of putting Hawke into the One Piece films and I got a sudden inspiration. So here's Hawke in Strong World! I didn't change much and used this mainly for some character interactions and development so there's no huge plot points here. But it was fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it while I continue working on my second installment of my main story.**

 **Happy Reading :)**

 **Strong World**

 **Chapter 1**

Hawke shivered and wrapped her arms around her body for warmth, grateful to her jacket for providing some cover from the elements. The grey, snowy landscape was still and unmoving, except for the giant dinosaur-like animal that also had caribou antlers and fur. Said animal was roaring ferociously and running right at them. Hawke stiffened and moved to take out her knives, but a voice at her shoulder made her stop.

"I got this one," Zoro muttered through his sword as he sprang past her and ran for the dino-caribou.

Another shiver passed through Hawke's body as she watched the swordsman easily fell the giant beast.

"Chopper!" she called to the little reindeer who was cowering behind a nearby boulder, "Come here, I'm cold."

After peeking around the rock to make sure it was safe, the Straw Hat's doctor scampered over and leapt into Hawke's outstretched arms.

"This place is scary!" Chopper wailed and buried his face in Hawke's shoulder.

The scout returned his nuzzle, enjoying the warmth his fur offered.

"You're so fluffy," she muttered, "And don't worry, you're with Zoro and I. Plus you're a super strong pirate remember?"

She patted the top of his hat and the reindeer took a moment to think before blushing and wiggling around in her arms.

"You don't mean that!" he sang, "Stop lying, asshole."

Zoro had returned to them and he lightly slapped Chopper on the head.

"Oi," he snapped, "Don't call Hawke names."

"Wah!" Chopper exclaimed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!"

Hawke laughed.

"It's alright," she said, putting the doctor on Zoro's shoulders, "Let's go!"

The trio set off across the snow covered landscape they had landed on after Shiki had thrown them from the Sunny and taken Nami.

"No, Zoro!" Hawke snapped, grabbing the swordsman's hand as he started to wander, "It's this way."

"Eh?" the moss-head turned, "How do you know?"

Hawke pointed.

"Because I can see green grass and a village from here," she said, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

"Oh," the swordsman grunted.

"You're really bad with directions, Zoro," Chopper pinched some green hair between his cloven hooves.

"Ow! Don't do that!" Zoro snapped.

"Oops," Chopper giggled.

There was a pause as they walked on.

"Ow! Hey!" Zoro shouted again.

"Sorry, it was an accident!" Chopper giggled again.

"Like shit it was an accident!" Zoro picked the reindeer off his shoulders and put him on the ground.

"You don't need to swear," Hawke laughed at the hair that was now sticking out at odd angles, "Here."

She reached up and began running her fingers through his green hair, returning it to its proper place.

"That's better," she smiled.

"Zoro's blushing!" Chopper pointed a hoof at the swordsman's face, which was quite red.

Hawke laughed as Zoro glared at the reindeer.

"Shut up," he snapped, "It just feels nice."

Chopper nodded.

"I like it when you scratch behind my ears too," the doctor ran over to Hawke's other side, "It feels really relaxing."

The scout let out a laugh and the three crossed over into a lush green field and warm sun. She reached out and grabbed Zoro's hand and Chopper's hoof.

"Despite everything," she said, "This is nice."

Zoro scoffed and sent her a smirk. Hawke blushed as she felt him squeeze her fingers.

"So you think getting thrown off into a bunch of sky islands, our navigator kidnapped and being separated from the rest of the crew is nice?" he said as his eyes moved to their surroundings.

Hawke bit her lip and pouted at the ground.

"No, all that is awful and I can't wait to get Nami back and leave this place," she mumbled, "But now that we're out of that winter place, and we're together… never mind."

She felt her hand getting squeezed again.

"Don't worry," Zoro grunted, leaning back to look around her and make sure Chopper was keeping up, "I get it."

Hawke smiled and turned her eyes forward.

"I wonder who lives there," she muttered as the village appeared again on the horizon ahead.

"Whoever they are, I hope they know where the others are," Zoro grunted.

Hawke nodded. She was worrying about the rest of the crew and where they'd ended up, and about where Shiki had taken Nami.

 _We'll find you_ , she thought with determination.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hawke let out a sigh and stretched out in the warm grass. Two days had passed since they'd first entered the sky island village and not much had happened. They had been happily received by the villagers and had been spending the nights with a small family of three; a child named Xiao, and her mother and sickly grandmother. They had been nice enough to tell Hawke and Chopper the reason all the men and young women were nowhere to be seen and to avoid the giant surveillance snails that wandered around the village.

During the two days, the Straw Hat's had not been idle. Each morning they would set out as a group and explore a different part of the floating islands, trying to find traces of the rest of their friends. Hawke was able to fly over to other, otherwise unattainable, floating islands and the whole group could make it in one trip if Chopper sat on Zoro's head while Hawke carried him.

But all of their searches had been unsuccessful and there was still a large number of islands yet to explore.

"How did we get so separated?!" Hawke let out some of her frustration and looked up at Zoro.

She had been lying with her head in the swordsman's lap and both had been taking a nap before returning to their search for their friends.

Her question didn't seem to rouse Zoro, so Hawke reached up and was about to flick his chin when she paused.

 _Since when did this become a reality?_ she thought, blushing.

Here she was, lying on Zoro's lap, and both of them were completely comfortable with the action. Hawke smiled, her hand still hovering in the air.

"Chopper?" she whispered.

"Yeah?" the little reindeer was sitting in the grass at her feet, analyzing the plants that grew in the field and keeping an eye out for the surveillance snail.

"Anything to report?" the scout lifted her head a little to look down at the doctor.

Chopper shook his head. His nose was plugged with tissues but Hawke could tell he was getting used to the smell of the trees that protected the village; his eyes hadn't watered all day.

"No thign of banger!(No sign of danger)" he reported in a serious voice, "We're cwear and continueb westing ith a go!(We're clear and continued resting is go!)"

Hawke let out a soft giggled and rubbed her toe against the reindeer's back.

"Good," she sighed, dropping her hand back onto her chest.

Then she let out a huff and started lifting her body to sit up, but her action was stopped by a hand moving across her shoulders. She looked up to see Zoro giving her a grumpy, questioning look.

"Oh, sorry if I woke you," Hawke smiled up at him, letting her body fall back down.

Zoro gave her a small smile.

"It's fine," he muttered, bringing his hand down and running his fingers through her bangs and playing with the strands of her braid.

Hawke blushed and, though she kept her body still, she was jumping with excitement on the inside. Then she noticed his other hand was massaging his chest.

"How are you doing?" she asked, meeting Zoro's eyes and giving him a concerned look.

It hadn't been that long since they'd left Thriller Bark and she knew his body was still far from being healed.

"I'm fine," Zoro grunted with a frown.

Chopper turned and looked back at them, his eyes full of concern, which made him look a little funny with the nose plugs sticking out of his nose.

"Do you neeb me to check your wounbs, Zoro?" the doctor got up and came over to the swordsman's shoulder.

Zoro's frown deepened and he shrugged his shoulders.

"No, it's fine," he snapped, "Just sore bruises."

Hawke stuck her lip out in a pout and sat up.

"It's alright Chopper," she sighed, "He's resting now, after all."

The doctor gave the swordsman another concerned look before returning to his spot in the grass.

Hawke sat in silence for a moment, watching the grass rustle in a slight breeze. Then she turned and threw herself at Zoro, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself close.

"Oi, ow!" the swordsman let out a soft hiss and his hand flew up to grip her arm.

But Hawke didn't let go, instead resting her forehead on Zoro's neck.

"This is your punishment for refusing treatment," she pouted, "You need to learn to treat your body better."

She heard Zoro scoff and then sigh.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered and Hawke felt his arm drape around her waist, "But it really is just bruising."

Hawke lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I know you're just saying that," she whispered, looking into his eyes, "But I am grateful that you've been going pretty easy. It helps me worry a bit less."

Zoro's cheeks flushed, but he didn't break their gaze.

"You worry too much," he said, his grip tightening around her waist, "I'll be fine."

Hawke let out a sigh and rested her forehead against his. The sun warmed her back and there was a flowery smell in the air.

"Xiao! Xiao!" a shout suddenly rang out, disrupting the pleasant silence, "Where are you?!"

Hawke stiffened as she recognized the voice. She stood up and looked around to see Xiao's mother hurrying down the street next to them.

"Xiao!" the woman cried again, then saw the trio, "Oh! Have you seen Xiao?"

Hawke shook her head and glanced at Zoro, who frowned.

"No," he grunted, "What's up?"

"She left many hours ago but hasn't returned!" the woman exclaimed, her brow creased with worry, "I just know she's wandered out into the cold wastes again!"

Hawke didn't like seeing this woman upset. She felt like she should help her, especially since they owed her for letting them stay in her house.

"We could go and find her," she suggested quietly.

"Eh?!" Zoro snapped.

"Yeah, I wanna leabe dis place for a bit," Chopper's tugged on Zoro's pant leg.

The swordsman bent down and picked up the reindeer, placing him on his shoulders.

But Hawke kept her attention on the woman and smiled when she was given a nod.

"Come on, Zoro," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, "We still don't know where the others are, so we might as well help out here. Plus," she glanced over her shoulder at him, "This'll be more fun than sitting around."

She caught the dull look of boredom leave his eyes and the happy glint that replaced it.

"Sounds alright," Zoro smirked, adjusting the reindeer on his head, "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Hawke stared around her in horror as the ground itself came alive and surged up above them. She could see Sanji and Zoro off to her left and Luffy was a ways away on her right. She could hear the panicked yells of Usopp and Chopper behind her and Nami's screams could be heard from the other side of this swirling upheaval of dirt.

As she stared at the fluid earth towering around them, giant lion heads were formed and began roaring and gnashing their teeth. The Earth Lions bore down on them from all sides, encircling the crew and trapping them in a ring of rock.

"This guy is too powerful!" Hawke gasped and stumbled back, bumping into Sanji.

"Don't let him scare you, Hawke-chan," the cook said as he squared off with the lion head in front of him, "I won't let this bastard lay a hand on you."

The scout bit her lip ad nodded. She couldn't let herself be intimidated by this guy. They had to defeat him so he wouldn't take Nami away again!

She faced the rippling rock she was facing and clenched her knuckles around the hilts of her knives.

Luffy obliterated the rock that was hiding Shiki from sight and Sanji shot Zoro up for an attack.

Hawke felt fear rise once again in her chest when she heard the Golden Lion mutter some disdainful words at them.

"Sorry, but no," he easily blocked Zoro's attack and shot the swordsman down hard into the earth, "You guys aren't even worth killing."

"Zoro!" Hawke ran over and helped him to his feet.

Then the lions made of rock around them gave a unified roar and shot upwards.

Hawke followed their ascent and saw what was about to happen.

 _They're covering the sky!_ She felt fear coursing through her body.

She turned and tried to grab Zoro's arm as the ground beneath their feet tilted. The swordsman lost his balance and Hawke missed his hand as he fell, swearing, down the slope.

"Damn it!" Hawke heard Sanji yell, but she couldn't see him.

 _I need to get out of here!_ her instincts took over and she spread her wings, springing off the ground and making for the small point of sky still left clear.

She pushed through the rain of dirt and rocks and burst into clear sky. Turning, Hawke cried out as she saw the earth being pressed into a giant, swirling pillar. She could see the faces of the crew, all unconscious, as the pillar was turned and compressed into a solid monument.

"Oh? One of you escaped? I have to admit I'm impressed with the women on this crew."

Hawke stiffened and turned in the air, hovering to hold her place.

Shiki was drawing level with her, using his devil fruit powers to float through the air.

"Luffy!" Hawke heard Nami's scream and looked down to see the navigator sprinting over to the pillar of stone.

"Don't worry, Nami," the scout called as she turned back to face Shiki, "I won't let this guy take you away again!"

The man before her laughed at her words.

"I believe babycakes has decided which crew to join," he said in a mocking voice, "You guys weren't even strong enough to take her back."

Hawke clenched her fists and glared at him.

"Don't say things like that until the last one has fallen!" she spat and dove.

Hawke's wings sliced through the air and she aimed her knives at her enemy's head. She saw the amused look on his face and his leg-swords come up to deflect her. The scout waited until the last moment to switch her target and instead flew right over Shiki's head. As he turned, she brought her knife down on one of the pegs that stuck out of his head. It sliced through the wood and made a scratch on his scalp. This had an effect and the man sank a little in the air, wobbling a little. Hawke saw an opening and brought her second knife down on his chest, but her wrist was suddenly gripped in a vice like hold.

"Made me use my hands again, eh?" Shiki smiled malevolently up at her, a trickle of blood ran down his temple.

Hawke let out a gasp of fear and beat her wings hard. She managed to wrestle herself free and put some distance between them.

"No, Hawke! Stop!" Nami's voice suddenly shouted up to her, "Don't fight him anymore!"

Hawke glanced down and saw the navigator looking up at them. Her tear stained face made Hawke's heart squeeze in her chest. She didn't like seeing her friend cry, and she hated the man who was responsible for it.

"Don't say that, Nami!" she called down, "We'll always fight for you. You can't leave the crew without Luffy's permission!"

With these words she let loose her knives and threw them at Shiki. And as soon as they had left her hands, she took out two more and launched them as well.

She felt a small hint of relief as her weapons closed in on their target, but then saw the look of annoyance on Shiki's face and felt her stomach drop.

"Babycakes can do whatever she wants," he growled, "And if a captain's defeated, the victor can have what he likes of the spoils."

He lifted his hands and slapped all four of Hawke's knives out of the air with as much ease as if they had been leaves in the wind.

"And you, sugarpie, are quite persistent," Shiki sent Hawke an amused glance, "So I shall dispose of you directly."

Hawke watched him lift his hand and clench his fist. She immediately looked around for any giant lion heads made of earth again, but the ground remained still.

She had just enough time to hear Nami scream a warning to her before she was hit. Shiki appeared above her and slammed his fist down. The force of the blow shot Hawke rocketing down onto the ground, wings still outstretched. Her breath rushed out of her body and she lay there gasping as Shiki hovered over her, grinning maniacally.

"I know who you are, sugarpie," he leered, "And I won't let you take my thunder. You put up a decent fight, but no one can stop me. Once the East Blue is dealt with, I might ask you to join me too. If you survive, that is."

He lifted his hand again as Hawke made to stand. Her movement was suddenly stopped as pain seared along her wings. She let out a scream and fell back onto the ground. Her wings, which had been spread out behind her, were now covered in blood. The red liquid was oozing from two points, one on each wing, where her own knives were pinning her to the ground.

 _He used my own weapons against me!_ Hawke felt anger boiling up inside her.

"Hawke!" Nami screamed from somewhere the scout couldn't see.

"Damn you!" she spat at the man floating down towards her, "Nami, run! Get away from here!"

Shiki grinned and lifted an eyebrow.

"Now, now, sugarpie," his voice was full on condescension, "You shouldn't speak that way in front of someone who can kill you so easily."

He pointed a finger at her and there was a sudden swishing sound as Hawke's two other knives embedded themselves in the ground on either side of her head, close enough that Hawke felt blood dripping from the scratches along her cheeks.

She lay there, panting and blinking back tears.

"That's a good girl," Shiki landed, bladed legs straddling her body, "Now have a nice rest. I hope the animals'll leave you be… but no promises."

Hawke could only glare through the pain radiating through her wings and into her body as she watched him lift a rock from the ground and hover it over her head.

"Nighty night, sugarpie," he said sweetly before letting it drop.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Robin let out a gasp and left Franky and Brook standing at the stone pillar that was encasing the rest of their crew… all but two. The archeologist moved quickly, and despite the gracefulness of her movements, there was a slight jerkiness that revealed the fear underneath. As she drew near the dark patch staining the earth a ways away from the pillar, she felt dread rise in her chest, though this emotion didn't show on her face.

"Hawke!" Robin let out a rare cry as she took in the sight before her.

A loud crack sounded, piercing through the silence that surrounded them. The pillar of rock collapsed from Franky's strong right hook, but Robin paid little attention as she knelt down. She could hear the groans of her crewmates and knew they were going to be alright, but Hawke was lying still and unmoving before her.

 _What happened to you?!_ The archeologist's eyes widened and she brush the girl's hair away from her face, revealing a large, bloody smear across her pale forehead.

Robin turned back and called out

"Franky! Come over here and bring the doctor!"

"Ow! What's up, Robin?" Franky jogged over, leaving Brook to help the others extricate themselves from the rock.

He froze as he took in the sight of their scout.

Hawke lay on her back, wings extended flat on the ground beneath her. The black feathers shone dully in the pale moonlight, their usual sheen inhibited by the blood caked onto them. A knife had been stabbed into each wing and seemed to be pinning the girl to the ground. Two other knives were embedded into the ground on either side of her face, the cuts on her cheeks showed that the blades had not been thrown idly. These knives helped prop Hawke's face up, showing the thick trail of blood that traced down her nose and onto her cheek before falling to the ground, pooling in the dirt. Her eyes were closed and her face was extremely pale.

"Hawke!" the cyborg shouted, kneeling beside Robin, "This is super bad! Are you awake?! Oi!"

He moved to take the knives keeping her pinned down, but Robin stopped him.

"Wait," she said in her calm tone, "That might make the bleeding worse."

"What the hell happened to her?!" Franky's hands retreated but he stayed leaning over the scout, "The others are nowhere near this bad!"

Robin's brow creased ever so slightly and she rested her hand on Hawke's limp arm.

"We won't know until she wakes up," she said in a low voice.

She and the cyborg exchanged a look of concern.

"Chopper!" Franky shouted over at the group, "Get over here! Hawke's not looking too good!"

This got the crews attention and they all hurried over.

"Hawke!" Luffy shouted as he drew near enough to see the damage.

The rubber boy's eyes filled with panic and he raced to her side, grabbing her shoulders.

"Oi!" he almost screamed, "Hey! Hawke, wake up! Did Shiki do this to you?!"

But the girl made no response.

The captain let out a small grunt as hands sprouted out of the ground and pulled him away from his sister.

"Luffy," Robin's voice was stern but gentle, "You shouldn't move her until Chopper has done his assessment. You could hurt her more."

The rubber boy stiffened, but backed off immediately and squatted a ways away, watching the reindeer as he began treatment.

"The cuts on her cheeks are of little concern," Chopper was in full doctor mode, "But the laceration on her forehead has caused a lot of blood loss, as have the damages to her wings. Those seem to be the highest priority."

The reindeer cleaned and wrapped the wound on Hawke's forehead and then moved to her wings.

"Oi, Chopper," Sanji's lit a cigarette, he was standing back with Luffy but his eyes were moving between Hawke and Zoro, "Is she going to be alright?"

The doctor frowned as he inspected the torn feathers and skin around the knife wounds.

"Nothing seems like it's going to be permanent," he said, "I need to remove these now, though, before they start an infection."

Usopp handed Chopper his bag and the doctor began teasing the first knife out of Hawke's wing.

Everyone stiffened as the scout's head shifted slightly and her arm lifted off the ground, grasping at the air in front of her.

"Nami, run!" her voice was frail, "Get away while you have the chance!"

"Hawke!" Luffy ran to her head and leaned over her, "Are you awake?"

But the girl's hand fell and her eyes remained closed.

Chopper shook his head.

"She's still unconscious," he said.

Luffy frowned and stood, his fists clenched.

Zoro was standing stiffly beside Brook as they watched Chopper moving along Hawke's body. His own fist was clenched so hard over the hilts of his swords that his knuckles had turned white.

"Shiki," the name hissed through his lips.

His eyes left Hawke for a moment and locked gaze with Luffy. The two men shared a second before returning their attention to the girl lying before them.

Zoro's eyes moved to the black and gold hilts gleaming in the moonlight. He frowned at the weapons that now lay in a row above Hawke's head.

 _Her own knives…_ he turned his head and glared back at the destroyed village, _this guy is going down!_

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Hawke blinked at the stars that shone above her head.

 _Pretty_ , she thought groggily.

Then the pain registered and she let out a groan.

"Hawke!" A shadow suddenly blocked out the stars and Hawke could make out the outline of a straw hat.

"L-Luffy?" she moaned and brought her hand up to her pounding head, pausing when her fingers found a bandage there, "What happened? Are the others okay? Where's Nami?"

"You're awake!" her brother smiled down at her, "Thank goodness!"

Another figure came into her line of vision.

"Stay still, Hawke," Chopper's voice sounded close to her ear, "I need to finish treating your wings."

"Chopper?" Hawke turned her head, but then let out another groan as the action intensified the throbbing.

"I said stay still," the little doctor moved away and she felt her feathers being wrapped in something.

Hawke stilled her movements and listened to what was happening around her.

She could hear Usopp and Sanji talking in low voices somewhere behind (or above?) her but couldn't make out any words. The clink of metal told her that Zoro was somewhere beside Luffy, who was still hanging over her head.

"Is everyone here?" she asked, looking up at her brother.

"Yeah," he gave her a faint smile, "Almost…"

Hawke clenched her fists.

"Damn!" she muttered, "I'm sorry, I tried to stop him… Or at least give Nami time to run, but…"

"You did all that you could," Zoro muttered from close by.

Hawke let out a sigh and lifted her head.

"Are you done, Chopper?" she asked and was given a nod.

She struggled to prop herself up on her elbows and felt hands reach under her armpits.

"Oh, thanks Luffy," she glanced over her shoulder to see her brother lifting her to a sitting position.

Once she was up, Hawke looked around to see Zoro sitting on a rock close on her right and Usopp and Sanji standing off to one side. Robin was sitting to her left, while Franky and Brook were standing behind the archeologist. Chopper had moved on and was now pestering Usopp to sit down so he could start dressing his wounds.

"How are you feeling?" Robin's calm voice felt comforting to the scout and she smiled.

"Well, I'm aching all over and my head is pounding," Hawke said, "But other than that I'm fine, no broken bones."

"Did Shiki do this to you?" Luffy asked, sitting down behind her and resting his back against hers.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I was no match for him…"

Hawke glanced sadly around her and bent her wings, trying to bring them into their tattoo form. But no matter how hard she tried, they remained out.

"I guess I can't put them away when they're injured," she muttered, settling for half-enveloping her brother in them as they bent behind her back.

She felt Luffy gently stroking the tips of her feathers and glanced over her shoulder, but his face was hidden beneath the brim of his hat.

Just then Xiao and her family appeared. After a short exchange, the little girl handed a tone dial to Luffy, who got up to retrieve it.

The crew sat in silence as Nami's voice said goodbye through the shell. They stood in shocked silence as they pieced together what happened after they had been beaten.

"What the hell is this!?" Luffy shouted, his face contorted in a sudden display of anger.

"Woah, woah, Luffy!" Usopp tried to pacify their captain, but Luffy just thrust the tone dial into the sniper's hands and stomped away.

Hawke watched Luffy go with sad eyes.

 _Nami…_ her thoughts were muddled through the pain of her headache.

"Why don't we give Nami's message another listen," Sanji suggested as he lit a cigarette.

Usopp hesitated, glancing at Luffy's back before nodding and pressing down the apex of the tone dial.

Hawke stared up at the sky, her wings still outstretched, and listened to the pained words of their navigator as she said farewell for a second time. But her gaze jerked back to the orange shell as Luffy punched through a boulder and Nami's voice whispered her last words.

"We'll come get you, Nami," Hawke felt a small sense of hope upon hearing those last words.

 _Our navigator wouldn't leave us for a creep like Shiki,_ she smirked and glanced at Zoro, who was watching Luffy with a stern look.

She shuffled over and rested her hand on the swordsman's knee.

"We'll stop him," she said, earning the attention of the rest of the crew, "We'll save the East Blue and bring Nami back."

Luffy returned to the group and nodded to Hawke.

"Let's go back to the Sunny and make a plan," he said, his voice solemn and serious.

Hawke blinked at his unusually mature attitude but returned his nod. Zoro helped her to her feet and the crew set off for their ship, readying a plan of attack.


	5. Chapter 5

**A private moment for the girls**

 **Chapter 5**

Hawke washed her face at the sink and traced a finger over the cuts on either side of her cheeks, going over her appearance in the mirror.

"Those'll be gone soon," she muttered, "And this one isn't as deep as I thought either."

She massaged the area around the bandage on her forehead and smiled at Robin.

"I'll be good as new in no time," she said as she shuffled out of the way so the archeologist could get to the mirror without hitting Hawke's wings, "Ugh, this is annoying. I'm not used to having these out all the time."

The archeologist smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure you will, you seem to heal quite quickly," she said, "You had us worried though."

Hawke lowered her face.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I was no match for Shiki…"

She felt anger and humiliation burst to life in her chest once again and reached a hand inside her jacket, running her fingers over the hilts of her knives.

"He is quite ruthless," Robin's expression became solemn, "But our captain will put him in his place."

Hawke smiled and nodded.

"You bet he will," she laughed, but her face fell as she saw Robin with a slight frown, "Is something wrong?"

The archeologist blinked and smiled, erasing the look of concern that had been there moments before.

"No," she said calmly, "Come here, I'll help you wash your hair."

Hawke lifted her hand and felt the brittle dried blood that still smeared her brown locks.

"Oh, right," she grimaced, "I must still look like a mess."

The archeologist turned on the tap and Hawke bent over, putting her head under the flow of warm water.

"Mmmm," she let out a sigh as Robin's fingers began working through her hair, "This feels nice."

She relaxed as the archeologist undid her braid and began lathering up some suds.

"May I ask you a question?" Robin's calm voice meshed wonderfully with the sound of running water.

Hawke smiled.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

There was a pause as the water draining down in front of Hawkes face turned red and the blood washed away.

"Why did Shiki target you?" Robin asked, "The others are all relatively fine compared to you."

Hawke blinked at the drain.

"Uh, I escaped being caught in that tower thing he made," she recalled the events of the fight, "That's the only reason, I think. But he did say he knew who I was…"

There was another silence as Robin turned off the tap and draped a towel over Hawke's head. The scout straightened and began drying off.

"He knows you're the Dark Angel?" Robin asked, "He drew that conclusion simply by seeing your wings?"

Hawke shrugged her shoulders and rubbed the towel vigorously over her head. When she removed it, her hair fell down over her face in a tangled wave.

"I don't know," she huffed and some strands fluttered out from her breath.

Robin let out a soft chuckle.

"Here," the woman reached out and turned the scout around.

Hawke soon felt a brush being pulled through her hair and she smiled.

"Thanks, Robin," she said, watching their reflections in the mirror.

The archeologist was standing between Hawke's wings, which were half spread out, and had a half smile on her face as she brushed the scout's hair.

They sat in silence as Robin finished, enjoying the moment of calm before the storm, and Hawke tied her braid back in.

"Shall we get our fighting clothes on?" the scout gave a wink and the two moved into the women's room.

Hawke dug through the extensive closet all three women had been collecting and pulled out a black turtle necked crop top and a black miniskirt.

"I'm glad Nami told me to get these," she muttered as she pulled on the clothes, "They're not what I usually wear, but they're perfect for this."

Robin let out a soft laugh as she picked out a long, feathered, black coat.

Hawke smiled and buckled up some black, knee high boots that had a white stripe around the top.

"Hey, Robin," she paused, "Shiki wants to destroy the East Blue like those islands from the paper the other day…"

The archeologist came to her side and nodded.

"Well," Hawke stammered, "He said he didn't want me to steal his thunder… d-does he think I would do that?"

Robin's expression remained relaxed.

"The legends say either peace or chaos will be brought by the Dark Angel," she said in her calm tone.

Hawke frowned and clenched her fists.

"But I could never do anything like that…" she mumbled, "I don't like it…"

Robin rested her hand on the scout's arm and gave a reassuring, motherly, smile. Hawke couldn't help but feel calmed and let out her breath.

"Well," she said, straightening and threw her leather jacket back around her shoulders, "Let's go get our navigator back!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The boys were standing in a circle on the grass by the mast but they parted to let Hawke and Robin join before continuing their conversation.

"So I say we go in head-long," Sanji was saying, blowing out a small cloud of smoke, "He knows we're here, there's no point in a surprise attack."

"I agree," Franky nodded, "The meeting with all the other pirate's will be starting soon. That'll be the best time to attack since they'll all be in one place."

Zoro adjusted the swords at his side.

"We'll need some extra power to take care of all the weaker ones," he grunted and moved to stand beside Hawke, "You said there were a lot of other pirates here?"

He directed the last comment at Brook, who nodded.

"Yes," the skeleton confirmed, "There seem to be many pirates who wish to follow behind Shiki's strength."

There was a pause.

"Alright," Luffy's serious air attracted everyone's attention and held it, "It's time to go and take on Shiki and get Nami back."

A simultaneous nod was given by the crew.

"I've got some extra fire-power," Franky nodded towards some boxes placed on the deck, "We found these while asking around about Shiki's plans for the East Blue."

The boxes turned out to be full of guns and other firearms. Hawke watched as each member of the crew picked out their preferred weapons. When it was her turned, she peeked in and chose a nice set of dual pistols.

"I've never shot a gun before," she muttered as she inspected the weapons.

"It's as simple as point and shoot," Usopp said, resting his hand on her shoulder as he walked by, "And pistols are the easiest to reload."

He handed her a handful of extra cartridges and quickly showed her the method to load them into the gun.

"You're already good at aiming," the sniper smiled, "So all you need to do is take off the safety… here… and then once that's off, let her rip."

"Thanks," Hawke smiled and gave him a wink, "The Great Captain Usopp is a good teacher."

Usopp stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before grinning and bringing his fist to his chest, striking a pose.

"Of course!" he said in a macho voice, "I am the best teacher in the world! I've taught all the great snipers how to shoot!"

"Shut up, Usopp," Sanji snapped as he walked by, "Stop annoying Hawke-san."

Hawke laughed as the sniper shoulders slumped.

She put the cartridges in her pockets and watched Usopp move off. As he retreated, Luffy emerge from behind the mast and glanced her way before staring at his feet. Hawke frowned and quickly made her way over to her brother.

"Hey," she almost whispered as she came up beside him, "Are you okay?"

She saw Luffy's lips turn down under the shadow of his hat.

"Luffy?" Hawke's brow creased with worry and she bent down a little to look up under the brim, "What's wrong?"

Her brother's eyes focused on anything but her.

"I wasn't there to help you," his whisper quavered, all the determination from their previous discussion gone, "I wasn't there… and look what happened to you..."

Hawke felt her chest constrict and she reached out, taking Luffy's hand in hers.

"Don't make it out like that," she said reassuringly, "It had nothing to do with whether you were there or not. Shiki would have beaten us all one by one. But he's underestimated us and this time he's going down."

She felt Luffy's fingers clench around her hand. His eyes still had traces of fear and guilt in them.

"Luffy," Hawke breathed and pulled him in for a hug, "Don't blame yourself for things like this. As long as you kick his ass everything will turn out fine. Make him pay for using my own knives against me!"

She gave the rubber boy a squeeze and stepped back.

"We've got to get Nami back and save the East Blue too," she smiled, "You've got no time to be worrying about me."

A small smile flit over Luffy's lips as he met her gaze.

"But I always worry about you," he smiled.

Hawke stared at him for a few moments before returning the smile and letting out a small laugh.

"Well I'll have to make sure jerks like him don't get the better of me again," she gave Luffy another hug and then pulled away, seeing the light burst into her brother's eyes again, "Come on," she smiled as the rest of the crew gather behind her, "Let's go!"

Luffy gave them a wide grin.

"Franky!" he shouted, "Coup de Burst!"

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

The walk to Shiki's meeting room was a bloody one. Hawke kept pace between Usopp and Robin and held her pistols at the ready, mowing down any of Shiki's supporters that tried to attack any of the crew in front of her while their backs were turned. Though she made sure to use her bullets sparingly; she was sure she would need them later.

As they reached the meeting room, Zoro cut one door down, send pieces exploding into the room. Usopp attempted to kick the other panel down, but only succeeded in getting his foot stuck through the paper. Sanji quickly finished their badass entrance by kicking the door down and Hawke took her place between Robin and Zoro as the crew entered the meeting room.

Her eyes moved over the two rows of pirate captains and up to Shiki in his place opposite them. Her wings rustled as a silence fell over the room.

"Oh, it's you guys," Shiki seemed to recover from the shock of their sudden entrance, "What a surprise."

As he broke the silence, the crew began moving forward through the rows of pirate captains.

"I heard you're going to attack the East Blue," Luffy's eyes were hidden under the brim of his hat.

"Well, yeah," Shiki looked displeased at their advance.

"Is Nami alright?"

Luffy's question brought an amused smile onto Shiki's face. Hawke felt her fists clench and her heart beat quicken.

"She's lively," the Gold Lion said dismissively as some evil chuckles were heard from around the room, "You look tough, but don't think you can make a difference with just eight people."

There was a crashing sound and the walls fell forwards, revealing all the crews of the pirates forming an alliance with Shiki. Hawke didn't blink an eye, they'd known how many pirates were here and it didn't matter anyways.

"A stupid woman who believed that if she sacrificed herself, she would be able to protect her hometown…" Shiki's voice was mocking, "Together with a reckless suicide squad."

Hawke's eyes moved from him to the clown and gorilla standing behind.

 _Is he their scientist?_ She frowned at the lab coat the clown was wearing and felt a shiver run down her back, _I'm staying away from him._

"Are you stupid?" Luffy's question brought her attention back to Shiki, "Nami didn't sacrifice herself. She came here as the vanguard!"

That was the signal. The crew lifted their weapons. Hawke cocked her pistols and held them up, waiting for the captain's word.

"Brace yourself, Golden Lion," the rubberboy's voice was deadly serious, "We're the main battalion!"

The crew let loose their gunfire. Hawke rained bullets over the huge group of pirates that surrounded them. It didn't take long for them to run out of ammunition, but by that time, they'd thinned the ranks of their enemies pretty well.

"We're out of ammo," Hawke heard Franky scoff through the smoke behind her.

"There's still a bunch of the left," Sanji let his gun drop to the floor.

"Sounds about right," Zoro grunted and Hawke heard the ring of metal as he withdrew his swords, "We were just saying hi."

"Usopp! Chopper!"Luffy orders were loud and clear, "Find Nami!"

The sniper and doctor immediately ran off to do his bidding.

Hawke turned her attention to the group of pirates emerging from the smoke, their weapons raised. She tucked her pistols into the waist band of her skirt and drew out her knives.

"This'll be a piece of cake!" Franky shouted over her shoulder as he shot a hard right at a group of men and sent them flying.

Hawke looked over her shoulder to see Luffy take on Shiki and Zoro and Sanji occupy themselves with his henchmen.

"Get him, Luffy," she whispered as he disappeared down the hall.

She spun around, her wings creating a large buffer area between her and her attackers.

"Ow!" Franky was suddenly behind her and they squared off, back-to-back, with the remaining pirates, "Let's get 'em, Hawke!"

The scout smiled as she felt Franky charge forwards, and she did the same. As she moved through the enemy ranks, she found that fighting with her wings out was easier than she thought it'd be. She could maintain her balance, fly at a moment's notice and even use them as weapons, slapping men out of the way before they could even reach her.

She finished off the group that had been giving her trouble and turned to see the room almost empty. Robin and Brook must have gone off into the halls of Shiki's palace because only Franky remained. The cyborg was currently fighting off five men at once and looked a little frustrated. Hawke quickly ran over and leapt up to sit on his shoulders, throwing her knives out and striking down two of the men. This gave Franky enough room to move and he easily shot down the rest with his fist-gun.

"Great work!" he smirked up at Hawke when the dust had settled, "I didn't even notice you were up there."

Hawke smiled down, her legs straddling the cyborg's neck.

"Wow, it's a whole new world up here," she laughed before beating her wings, though flying was still painful, and retrieving her knives.

"Alright," Franky cracked his knuckles, "Let's go see where those guys have run off too."

The pair of them headed for the door, when all of a sudden the building began to shake and tremble.

"W-what's going on!?" Hawke stumbled and Franky caught her arm before she fell.

There was a tremendous crashing sound and animalistic roars came through the walls. Said walls trembled and exploded as huge animals began rampaging into the palace.

"Oh my god!" Hawke cried out as a giant squid with insect legs ran straight for her.

Franky stepped out in front of her, giving his body as a shield, and fired a canon blast at the beast.

"Come on!" the cyborg scooped up Hawke and sat her on his shoulder, "Do you have any ammo left?"

Hawke dug through her pockets and pulled out her remaining cartridges.

"I've got your back," she said as Franky ran down the hall.

A strange, scorpion-like creature began tearing after them. Hawke aimed her pistols and managed to disable the animal by shooting at its legs.

"Nice shot!" Franky sprinted down the hall, running after a giant cicada.

The insect let out a hiss and one of its legs came around and struck Hawke, launching her off the cyborg's shoulder. She fell towards the floor, but managed to catch herself and fly upwards.

"Watch out Franky!" she shouted as another of the cicadas legs thrashed across the hall and hit the shipwright.

Both beings careened down the hall and crashed into the end wall.

Hawke followed, beating her wings awkwardly in the small space, and arrived to see Franky hanging upside down, in the creatures grip.

"Watch out, Hawke," the cyborg called and the scout saw him ready his fist.

She tried to find a place where she'd be safe from the blast, but there was nowhere to hide in this small hallway. Just then an explosion erupted and she was blasted, along with the cicada and Franky, all the way down to the opposite end of the hall.

"Franky!" she shouted as the dust settled and the cicada was knocked out, "Warn me sooner! That hurt!"

The cyborg laughed and helped Hawke to her feet.

"You were super anyways," he chuckled, then his face grew serious, "But all these huge animals around makes me worry about the Sunny."

Hawke's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Well, I still have some shots left," she lifted her pistols, "I can go back and guard Sunny."

Franky smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"I'd appreciate it," he said, "Be careful out there."

Hawke smiled and ran down the hall, quickly finding going back the way they had come.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hawke stood on the ravaged steps of Shiki's palace and surveyed the grounds before her. Most of the animals were inside the building, and it looked like the Sunny had been untouched. But to be sure, she flared out her wings and took off.

 _This wind is getting stronger,_ she thought as she rode a gust down and landed in the deck.

After doing a quick once-over, Hawke determined that their Sunny was safe and there was no current threat to him.

She then turned her attention back to the palace as a crashing sound broke the silence. She let out a gasp when she saw Shiki hovering in the air above one of the outer buildings. Familiar screams were carried to her ears by the wind.

"Usopp! Chopper!" Hawke let out a cry and sprung up into the air.

As she approached Shiki from behind, she saw huge lion heads made of air suddenly appear, surrounding her friends. Hawke saw that Chopper was holding Nami and felt fear fill her gut when she saw their navigators face covered in hard green splotches and seemed to be unconscious.

"But they've got her," she muttered as she took out her knives.

Just then, the lions roared and charged forward.

 _Damn, I'm too slow!_ Hawke flew faster, trying desperately to get close enough to get a clear shot. But pain seared across her back and she couldn't increase her speed.

But as the lions closed in, she saw a flash of red out of the corner if her eye. Then there was a swishing sound as the giant heads were suddenly dispersed.

"Luffy!" Hawke gasped in relief as her brother faced off with Shiki.

He caught sight of her and shouted out.

"Hawke! Come down from there and help Nami!"

The scout nodded and quickly dove down, skimming the ground until she was in front of Usopp.

"How's she doing?" she asked fearfully as she saw the extent of Nami's condition.

Chopper frowned.

"We need to get the antidote for Daft Green," he said, "it's the same sickness that the people in the village had."

Hawke nodded as a gust of air whipped her hair into her eyes. She turned to see Luffy letting off steam from his gear second.

"Nami," their captain said over his shoulder, "I'll beat that guy ad we'll go back together."

Hawke saw the navigators eyes open for a moment before closing again.

"Luffy," her faint whisper was almost lost in the wind.

Then the rubberboy turned his attention to Hawke.

"Leave this place to me," he said, "Get Nami to safety."

Hawke nodded and motioned to Chopper.

"Got it!" Usopp took off and they followed.

"Fight hard, Luffy!" Chopper called over his shoulder.

The trio ran back into Shiki's palace and began searching through the many rooms.

"Where do you think the antidote would be?" Usopp panted as they made their way through the palace.

"Probably in their laboratory," Chopper replied, adjusting Nami on his back.

Hawke felt a shiver pass through her body.

 _Their laboratory?_ She bit her lip as fear began stirring in her chest.

They pushed through a large set of oak doors and came into what looked like a green house. Hawke saw raise beds on both sides filled with plants and the windows covering the walls let in enough moonlight to see by.

"What is this place?" Usopp muttered as he looked into the flower beds.

Chopper leaned in over his shoulder.

"They're all IQ plants," he panted.

Hawke looked up to the windows.

"So they're using moonlight to grow them?" she asked.

Chopper nodded then stiffened.

"I smell medicine," he said and began running to the end of the room, making his way up a staircase and a door at the top.

Hawke followed after him, a feeling of dread building in her stomach as she crested the steps. When she reached the top, Usopp and Chopper had already opened the doors and were moving around inside the room beyond. Hawke took a few trembling steps forward and put her hand on the doorframe.

 _It's the lab!_

She felt her stomach clenched as her eyes moved over the beakers and bottles, the half-dissected plant that lay on the tray on a desk, the smooth, steel table that occupied one corner and the stool full of needles beside it. Panic began taking hold and unwanted memories began to resurface.

"I… I…," Hawke tried to call out to her friends, but her throat had become so dry that it felt like no air was getting into her lungs.

"This is where the IQ research is carried out," Chopper was saying.

Usopp ran over to a table and began picking up bottles and flasks. Hawke flinched as each clinking sound pierced the silence, feeling as if the sounds were knives stabbing into her back.

"G…guys," her voice came out in a trembling whisper and was lost on her friends as they rummaged through the contents of the lab.

There was a soft noise from behind her and Hawke whirled around… too late. A clink and a snap, and something closed around her wrist.

"You shouldn't be any trouble now," the clown in the lab coat leered down at her and Hawke sank to the floor, unable to cope with this sudden event.

Behind her, Usopp and Chopper were still looking around, oblivious.

"Which one should we give her?" Usopp was holding up a blue container in one hand and a flask of green liquid in the other.

The clown jumped into a handstand position and vaulted himself up to the upper level of the lab. Hawke turned and saw him sitting on the rail above her friends. She lifted her arm and saw a pair of hand cuffs dangling from her wrist.

 _Well these won't do anything,_ she thought _, But he'll get them!_

Hawke moved to stand, only to have her legs freeze up on her as soon as she thought of going into that room… _I can't go in there…_

Her eyes locked onto the bubbling apparatus' and the whirring equipment. They traveled over the knives and scalpels and the instruments that glinted in the eerie light of the lab.

A dull, throbbing ache began on her back where her wings met her skin and Hawke tried hard to keep down the bile that was rising in her throat.

"Us- Usopp!" she whimpered.

"Eh?" the sniper turned and glanced over his shoulder.

At the same time, the clown's shoe slipped and hit the rail, making a farting noise.

The two Straw Hat's stiffened and looked upwards.

"Ah!" they cried in unison, "An enemy!"

The clown let out a chuckle.

"He smells like medicine," Chopper said, sniffing the air, "Are you a scientist?"

Hawke stiffened.

 _He smells like medicine…_

"Yeah," the clown replied, "And an excellent one at that."

Hawke clenched her fists and forced her legs to push her up. She gripped the doorframe tightly.

"Oi, Hawke," Usopp turned to look over his shoulder, "Why didn't you warn us!"

The sniper caught sight of her face and immediately looked concerned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, splitting his attention between the clown scientist and Hawke, "Did this guy do something to you?"

"Piru, piru, piru," the clown laughed, "I just put some sea-prism hand cuffs on her. She's probably not feeling up for a fight at the moment."

"What?" Usopp gave the clown a confused stare, "Those won't do anything to her."

Chopper glanced back at Hawke and then to the scientist.

"She doesn't have devil fruit powers," the reindeer almost shouted, "What did you do to her?!"

At their words, the clown leaned forwards.

"Oh?" he surveyed Hawke's trembling form as she clutched the doorframe, "No devil fruit powers? I don't believe it."

Hawke wasn't really listening to them, she was busy talking to herself.

 _He's got it_ , she thought _, he's got the antidote that'll save Nami. You have to go in there and take it from him. You can do it._

 _No!_ another voice cried out, _I can't! I can't go in there! It's just like_ his _lab, I can't go in there again! Think of all the pain_ he _put you through!_

Hawke grit her teeth and felt another shiver run through her body.

 _But you have to save Nami_! She argued, _and defeating him is the only way! You can do it._

She dragged her foot across the threshold. Her mind fighting with itself and against her body's movements.

 _That's it,_ she encouraged herself, _see, it's easy._

Her other foot slowly moved across the floor, then her hand slowly began loosening its grip on the doorframe.

 _Do it for Nami,_ she was chanting, _do it for Nami, for Nami._

"Hand over the cure for Daft!" her voice shook, but at the same time, was deadly serious.

"Ah!" the clown leapt back, almost falling off his seat, "How can you be moving around like that with those cuffs on?!"

Hawke's eyes were hooded as she lifted them to see the figure in a lab coat standing above her.

"A scientist like you would know," she muttered through clenched teeth, feeling sweat coating her forehead.

 _Stay calm,_ she told herself _, this is a completely different place. They used this lab for flower research… just flowers._

Her eyes moved to the steel table and a tremor moved through her body.

"So you aren't a devil fruit eater," the clown leapt down from the second level and landed in front of Hawke.

She tried to move back, but her feet were glued to the spot and it was taking all her strength and courage to stay standing.

"A scientist would know?" he smiled as he walked around her, inspecting her wings, "Are you an experiment?"

His voice was full of excitement. Hawke's eyes widened and she felt tears stinging her cheeks. She was being looked over like some prize horse at a fair, like she was a science experiment!

 _Like the science experiment that you are_ , her mind told her.

"A modified human!" The clown almost shouted, "And a successful merging of two creatures? No… the wings sprout from the back like they belong to the same organism…"

Hawke trembled as the clown came around to face her once again.

"I want to study you," he leered down at her.

Hawke took a step back.

 _No!_

Her hand groped for her knives.

 _Not again!_

"G-give us the cure!" she stammered, still stumbling backwards.

The beakers and scalpels seemed to shine out and rise from their tables, threatening to burn her and cut into her again.

"N-no!" she whimpered and sank to the floor, unable to keep herself up anymore, "No more… no more…"

"Oi, Hawke!" Usopp and Chopper suddenly ran into the space between her and the clown, "We'll get the cure, you should get out of here!"

The scientist let out a menacing laugh.

"This is what you want right?" he cackled, holding out a small pink vial, "I've always been carrying it with me for an emergency. Hand over the girl and you can have it."

"Well that makes it simple."

Hawke started and felt a strange, warm sensation move through her chest. The lab returned to its normal appearance as she looked over her shoulder, tears still staining her cheeks.

"All I need to do is take it from that guy," Zoro stepped through the doorway and came up behind Hawke, "And beat your ass for making her cry."

"Zoro," Hawke let out a faint gasp.

His face was murderous as he advanced.

"Back off," the swordsman moved past her, "I'll chop him to pieces."

"Zoro!" Chopper and Usopp both looked extremely happy at the first mate's appearance, "Take care of him, we need the cure and he's got it."

"Looks like you've chased me to this place as well," the clown sounded unimpressed.

Chopper carried Nami out of the room and Usopp helped Hawke to her feet and supported her as they moved out onto a balcony.

"Come on, Hawke," the sniper muttered in her ear as they walked, "I forgot about your past experiences with scientists… that must've been hard for you."

As they moved out into the fresh air, Hawke managed to clear her head and control her emotions. She shook off Usopp's helping hand and straightened.

"Sorry about that," she bowed her head, ashamed, "I… I just didn't expect that to happen… I couldn't get a hold of myself."

There was a loud crash and the wall behind them exploded. The clown was blasted out onto a roof adjacent to them, closely followed by Zoro.

Hawke looked on as the two fought. The clown launched balls of chemicals at the swordsman and engulfed him in explosion after explosion.

"Ha!" the scientist shouted, "How'd you like my chemical juggling?"

Then he turned and saw the group standing nearby.

"There you are," he grinned at Hawke, "Now let's see what's inside you."

The scout backed up so fast that she hit the wall behind her and knocked the air out of her lungs, a feeling of helplessness overpowering her once more.

"You bastard!" Zoro's voice growled from the cloud of smoke that surrounded him.

Hawke blinked and rubbed her eyes. It looked like there were three of him.

"If you lay a hand on her," the swordsman bent forward and splayed nine swords, "You'll meet a fate worse than death!"

He began his charge at the clown, who threw another chemical ball at him, but that was easily deflected by the swordsman.

There was a sudden flash, and then the clown was flying through the air, landing with a thud on the roof behind Zoro before exploding.

Hawke watched the flames and felt her fear dying in her chest.

 _He's gone_ , her eyes found Zoro, who still had his swords splayed, _Zoro beat him._

"Zoro is super cool," Chopper said in awe.

"Is he invincible?" Usopp muttered.

"Chopper!" Zoro called, throwing the pink vial over.

The doctor caught it and smiled.

"We've got the cure," he said.

Hawke stepped up to the rail and leaned out across the gap between them.

"Zoro!" she called.

The swordsman met her gaze.

Hawke felt tears coming once again to her eyes. She spread her wings and launched herself over the rail. It only took one wingbeat to take her straight into the swordsman's chest.

"Thank you!" she sobbed into his shirt.

She felt Zoro's hand resting on her head and looked up. A frown was on his lips as he lifted her up.

"He made you cry," the swordsman muttered.

Hawke felt her cheeks flush and she took a step back.

"W-well," she rubbed her arm, "He's gone now… thanks to you."

Zoro sent her a smirk and nodded his head.

"I'm heading back now," he called over to Chopper and Usopp, "Take care of Nami."

Hawke smiled and began to follow after him.

"Wait, Zoro!" she sighed, grabbing his hand, "It's _this_ way!"

"Eh?!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Hawke could hear the roaring of the retreating animals and the shouts of the pirates fleeing the sky island.

Chopper, Usopp and Robin were rigging Shiki's palace with explosives. Nami had steered the island into a storm that was beginning to rage fiercely. Franky was preparing the Sunny's cola engine for their escape. And Luffy was off somewhere fighting Shiki.

"We're almost done here," she muttered before turning her attention to the task at hand.

She had just returned from the top of Shiki's palace with his flag, and now she had to make their escape mechanism.

"I'll help you, Hawke-san!" Brook gave her a bow.

Hawke smiled and lay the flag out on the ground.

"Thank you," she said, "Let's set up our parachute."

"Of course!" Brook sang, "This is my first battle as a Straw Hat and I have to say, your team work is quite interesting."

Hawke laughed as she looped rope through the corners of the flag.

"Yes, we have a strange fighting strategy," she smiled, "But it always gets us through."

Brook grunted as he lifted the rope and dragged it back onto the Sunny, pulling it up the rigging.

"This is bone breaking work," he panted.

Hawke let out a giggle.

"Hey, that was actually an appropriate bone joke, Brook!" she laughed.

"Oh!" the skeleton picked his nose, "So it was. And you were the only one around to hear it."

The two worked fast and soon the Sunny was ready for their escape from the sky islands. There was a moment of calm as they waited for the rest of the crew to return.

"May I ask you a question?" Brook broke their amiable silence.

Hawke lifted an eyebrow.

"No you may not see my panties," she stated in a firm voice.

The musician let out a laugh and leaned over.

"Yohohoho! That was not my question, Hawke-san," he chuckled, "But you have dashed my hopes."

Hawke smirked and stuck out her tongue.

"I am still new to this crew," Brook continued, "And so I have been watching everyone, trying to figure out your systems."

"Our systems?" Hawke interrupted.

Brook nodded.

"Each crew has its own way of working together," he said, "The Rumbar Pirates always had music playing and we rarely got into any fights unless we were harshly provoked…"

Hawke let her eyes move back to the palace before them, watching for signs of their crew returning.

"But this crew is quite different," Brook said, "You all seem to have separate goals and lives… but still appear to work as one unit… it's strange."

Hawke smiled and turned back to the skeleton.

"Yes, everyone has their own final goal," she said, "But we've become invested in each others dreams as well. We all want each other to succeed. And when one of us is in danger, we'll fight to the death to save them."

She gave Brook a wink.

"And I can say that I'm looking forward to you finally meeting up with Laboon again!" she smiled, "I can't wait to see that whale dancing to your music."

Brook smiled.

"Thank you very much, Hawke-san. A wonderful crew!" he chuckled, "How nice… and you and the captain are brother and sister, are you not?"

Hawke nodded.

"Luffy's my big brother," she smiled, "It seems I cause him some worry, even though I try my best not to."

She drew her knees up and rested her chin on them.

"Like today…," she sighed, "I got beat and he blamed himself, even though it had nothing to do with him."

Brook lifted a bony hand and placed it on her shoulder.

"A brother will always worry about his younger siblings" he said, "They are much like mothers in that sense."

Hawke laughed and shook her head.

"I suppose," she said, then her voice trailed off, "Makino used to worry about us all the time..."

The skeleton leaned down.

"Makino-san?" he asked, "Is that your and Luffy-san's mother?"

Hawke laughed and shook her head again.

"No," she explained, "But she is the woman who took care of Luffy and I when we were young."

The skeleton seemed to be watching Hawke and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah, sorry," Brook bowed his head, "I am always happy to find out more about my new friends."

Hawke blushed and shrugged.

"I'm sure she's part of why Luffy's so angry with Shiki's plan," she said, "Makino and all the people of our village… there's no way he'd let anything happen to them. Nor I for that matter!"

Just then, some shouting could be heard coming over the rail. The pair leapt to their feet and saw the figures of their crew come running into view.

"It seems it's almost time for us to leave," Brook laughed.

Hawke smiled and went to throw the ladder over the rail and help her friends up.

"The place is ready to blow," Usopp panted as he lifted Nami over the rail.

As he said this, the whole complex erupted in balls of flame.

As the rest of the crew climbed on board, the sky flashed and lightning began raining down. Hawke looked up to see Shiki himself flying through the air with Luffy close behind him on some sort of bird.

"How are you doing?" Zoro's breath warmed her ear and she started.

"I'm okay," she blushed, but didn't step away from the swordsman.

She smiled and unwrapped the bandages on the wings. The wounds underneath had already scarred over and showed no trace of reopening.

"That was quick," he muttered, lifting an eyebrow.

Hawke smirked.

"I'm tougher than I look," she gave him a devilish grin, "I can handle a man roughing me around a bit."

The embarrassed expression on Zoro's red face almost made her laugh out loud.

The crew watched as Luffy ducked and dodged Shiki's attacks and both of them struggled to stay in the air in the storm.

"Shiki!"

Nami's voice rang out and Hawke turned to see the navigator up on the roof of the bathroom.

"There's nothing left of your factory, your royal palace, or your island!" her words were carried forward on the wind, "Your plan failed completely!"

"What?!" Shiki shouted back and aimed his hand at the navigator.

Hawke immediately had her pistols out and cocked, her last cartridges were in the clip and she hope she had enough shots left.

"Don't you dare," she muttered under her breath as she aimed at Shiki's head.

But her actions were stayed when she heard her name being called.

"Hawke!" She turned and saw Zoro running towards her, his swords already out.

She understood his intent and took to the air, the pistols still in her hands. She swooped back down to the deck and Zoro leapt up, landing lightly on her back and the pair soared upwards.

"Just keep him busy until Luffy's ready," Hawke muttered as he leapt off her back and rocketed towards Shiki.

The Golden Lion used his leg-swords to defend against Zoro's first attack, but Hawke swooped down and brought Zoro back up to face Shiki. This time, as the swordsman let out a growl and plunged towards the pirate, she flew around to the side and attempted to draw attention away from the swordsman.

Shiki caught sight of her coming at him and turned to block her. This allowed Zoro to find an opening and he landed blow in the man's gut.

The attack shot Shiki backwards, a safe distance from the Sunny and away from the crew.

"That's it," Hawke smirked up at him and saw Luffy ready to attack.

She flew up under Zoro and he found his footing on her back. The pair of them returned to the deck and looked up to see Shiki clutching at his stomach and spit blood.

Zoro smirked and had a satisfied look on his face.

Hawke stared up at the fight that was about to finish their work here.

The Golden Lion's face twisted in frustration and he dove down towards the ship. But a shout from Luffy stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm your opponent Shiki!" the rubber boy shouted as he blew his fist up into gear third.

The air moved through his body and down to his leg, which was flung up into the clouds.

"You'll die like that!" Shiki shouted, "You'll get hit by lightning and fall!"

Hawke smirked and glared at the man hovering in the air.

"You're the one who's going to fall, Shiki!" she shouted.

Luffy's voice carried down to the crew.

"I'm not letting you touch the East Blue!"

Shiki let out another laugh and spread his arms, taunting the rubber boy to attack him.

"I am the man who will conquer the ocean from the sky!" he cried.

Hawke stiffened at these words and spread her wings again. She felt an instinctual urge rise up in her which pushed her forwards.

"Oi, Hawke!" she heard Zoro snap from behind her, but she leapt off the rail.

She flew right up to Shiki and hovered in the air before him.

"Conquer the ocean from the _sky_ , you say?" she glared at him, lifting her pistols and pointing them directly at his face. The words seemed to be coming out of her mouth on their own, but she let them, enjoying the look of surprise on the Gold Lion's face, "The sky doesn't belong to _you_! What makes you think _I'll_ give you permission?"

The man's yellow hair billowed out behind him as he froze in a moment of shock. Hawke smirked.

"You shouldn't act like that in front of someone who can shoot you so easily," she said, keeping her voice deadly calm.

She shifted her aim and pulled the triggers. The bullets whizzed through the air, disappearing into the stormy sky, but leaving two cuts on either side of the man's cheeks, mirroring the marks he'd left on her.

Hearing Luffy shout from above her, Hawke quickly flew down and landed back on the deck of the Sunny.

"I will never let you touch my crew or the sea for as long as I live!"

Luffy's cry came loud and clear through the air.

The sky seemed to break apart as a tremendous crash of thunder and lightning split the clouds, illuminating Luffy's giant foot as it came down. The force of the blow cracked the ground they were standing on and the Sunny began to fall.

"Time to go!" shouted Franky, his giant fists already on the wheel, "Hold on tight!"

Hawke clung to the mast as they flew off with a coup de burst.

"Good job Luffy," she whispered as she watched Shiki's body falling towards the sea, "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Hawke laughed as Nami, Usopp and Luffy wrestled with the tone dial. She smiled warmly as the shell fell overboard and whispered the telltale words that Luffy hadn't heard, before disappearing below the waves.

Luffy and Usopp hung over the railing and watched the shell sink as Nami let out a huff and retreated to the upper deck, saying she wanted to take a bath.

"The dial…" Usopp looked like he was about to cry, "Those things are rare…Damn you Nami!"

"Hey!" Sanji appeared out of nowhere and planted a kick on the sniper's head, "How dare you insult Nami-san!"

"Ouch!" Usopp wailed and clutched his head as he sulked off to his Usopp Factory to work his gloom away.

Hawke got up from her seat on the grass and went over to the rail, leaning her shoulder against Luffy's.

"Nami's our nakama," she smiled, "And she's really smart. She had to be sneaky to fool Shiki while he was standing right beside her."

The brim of the straw hat fluttered in the breeze and Luffy's hand went up to secure it.

"I know," he smiled at the waves, "It was my bad for doubting her."

Hawke let out a laugh and gave him a little shove.

"Hey," she rested her head on his shoulder, "Thank you… for giving me that little moment."

She was referring to the pause in Luffy's attack that had given her time to confront Shiki.

The rubber boy gave her a happy smirk.

"Shishishi," he chuckled, "No problem."

His eyes flew to her wings, then to her forehead, lifting his hand to rest on the bandage that was still covering her wound.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Hawke blinked and gently pushed his hand away.

"I'm fine, Luffy," she reassured him, giving her wings a small flap them to prove her point, "My wounds are healing quickly."

The captain smiled.

"Yeah, you always recover really fast," he said, "I like that."

Hawke shrugged her shoulders, but smiled.

"Well," she sighed and stretched her arms up above her head, "Shall we continue on our way, Captain?"

A wide smirk was her answer and Luffy jumped onto the rail.

"Set sail!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Let's go to Fishman Island!"

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

A few days after Luffy's defeat of Shiki, the Thousand Sunny was sailing through calm, warm waters and the Straw Hats were enjoying sunny weather.

Hawke sat under the shade of a beach umbrella, reading. The wounds on her wings had healed over completely and she was finally able to return them to their tattoo form. The scout hummed quietly as she turned the pages of her book. The novel was a story about a mermaid princess and her magical power to control the tides. It was actually one of Robin's, but she had let the scout borrow it for the day. The archeologist was currently helping Nami water her orange trees.

"Are you enjoying your reading, Hawke-chan?" Sanji suddenly appeared over her shoulder, holding out a tray of three fizzy drinks, "It's usually our beautiful archeologist who sits so elegantly with a book. But you look just as dazzling."

His appearance startled Hawke and her concentration was broken.

"Sanji," she smiled, "You surprised me!"

The cook gave a deep bow and lowered his face.

"My apologies," he said, "But I have brought you a refreshing drink to soothe your thirst."

Hawke let out a laugh.

"Thank you very much," the scout replied, taking one of the drinks offered, "This book is very interesting. You'd like it, since it's about a mermaid princess."

Sanji's eyes widened and he spun around, lifting his hands up in the air.

"A mermaid princess!" he sang, "I can't wait to meet her! Mermaid Island here we come!"

Hawke couldn't help but let out a laugh at the cook's antics.

"You better behave yourself when we meet her," she smiled, "Or you'll scare her away."

Sanji stopped his spinning and gave her a gentlemanly smile and bowed his head.

"I would never dream of upsetting any woman," he said, "It is a man's duty to serve and protect a woman."

Hawke smiled.

"And speaking of serving women," she laughed, "Robin's in the orchard with Nami."

Sanji sent her a grin and a nod before moving off to find the other ladies.

Hawke returned her eyes to her book but wasn't allowed to continue the story due to another interruption.

"Damn cook," Zoro grunted as he sat down under the shade of Hawke's umbrella, "He never makes anything for us guys."

Hawke giggled and held out the glass.

"Do you want a sip?" she asked, "It's fizzy and tastes like peaches."

Zoro wrinkled his nose and scoffed.

"I don't like girly drinks," he muttered.

Hawke laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Well then don't complain," she said.

Zoro frowned, but then shrugged and stretched out on his back. Hawke scowled when she saw the bandages around Zoro's torso were somewhat out of place.

"You haven't been training, have you?" Hawke asked, watching the swordsman as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Nah," he grunted, "Only some practice swings and stuff."

Hawke frowned and prodded her finger into Zoro's chest, earning a slight groan. His hand came up and massaged the area that had been disturbed.

"What was that for?" he muttered.

Hawke stuck her lips out in a pout.

"Chopper said no training!" she snapped, "And if that hurt then you should still be staying in bed most of the day."

Zoro frowned.

"I'm fine!" he snapped back, "How am I supposed to get past this level if I don't push myself?"

Hawke sighed and crossed her arms.

"You push yourself too hard sometimes," she mumbled, "I'm scared you'll go too far one of these days and it'll put you… and all of us… in danger."

She blinked when Zoro's hand rested on her knee.

"You worry too much," he smirked before closing his eyes.

Hawke smiled as his face relaxed into sleep and she sighed.

"Yeah, I know," she whispered, her eyes lifting to see Luffy sitting on the Sunny's head, "But it's because I love you."

Zoro's snore answered her and Hawke rolled her eyes before lying back and returning to her book.

"You're both idiots," she muttered.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **The End**

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**


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